California Gov. Gavin Newsom: “Wake up! You are losing your country.”

I dressed up for you today. Yes. Thanks for in the comment first. I overdressed.

You did overdress. Yeah, you didn’t get the memo. Shocked. Yeah. Trying to

uh So, thank everybody uh for being here and on the uh live stream. I’m Chris

Catalago, Politico’s editorial director in California. And um

we are Thank you for joining us. Good to be with you. Good to be here. Um so, we’ll just get right into it. Um,

last summer folks were writing your political obituary

in the in the in the luckily I don’t read obituaries so I missed it but uh during the uh I think we were calling

it brat summer for Kla Harris and um and then in this year alone you faced the

most expensive natural disaster in US history and then had a the major city in

your state militarized by the federal government. Yeah. Um, did people underestimate you?

Well, I don’t know about that, but I I’ll leave that to more objective minds and I’ll move the mic down a little bit.

Um, but it’s been a hell of a year. Uh, been a hell of a, you know, half decade.

all that stacking of stress, all the anxiety um that all of us have faced as

we work through a pandemic, as we work through social unrest, as we sort of unwind so much of what we took for

granted as relates to global economy and supply chains and and then of course Trump 2.0 um depending on which side of

the aisle you on and it’s uh it’s you know impacts the uh uh the immune system and uh and of course what happened in

January uh was extraordinary. It happened in the middle of winter, one of

the largest and most devastating wildfires in US history. Uh fire attached 100 mph winds. Um two

extraordinarily large fires damaging communities in Altadena and Palisades

and dozens of other fires which we seem to forget about uh in and around the region in Southern California. Uh if

that wasn’t enough, to your point, we saw something unprecedented in modern American history, and that is a

president of the United States uh that federalized the National Guard and did something he never did in his first

term. He never sent the military overseas. He sent the military to the

the United States of America. He sent 700 active duty members of the Marines

to the second largest city in the United States of America. Nothing about that is

normal and nothing about that should be normalized. He also threatened the

American people happen to live in California that he wouldn’t provide aid. He conditioned the aid at a time

disaster in the middle of the disaster. Didn’t even wait till the fire was suppressed to threaten the American

people that happened to live in the state of California if we quote unquote didn’t do his bidding. It is a hell of a

time in American history. How’s that impacted on you though? Going back to the original question, it’s it’s made me more resolved, even

more focused. I you know, I didn’t hear much of that last panel, but I did hear Jim mention the recall. Uh that’s that’s

pretty clarifying. You know, you a lot of finality in that. You know, a lot of

humility in that. You know, you don’t come out of a recall campaign the same.

Uh I came into that recall campaign still arguing that the you know all politics is local. I still had a

romantic notion of that. I intellectualized that a lot of our politics and the discourse was national.

I didn’t fully appreciate how nationalized our politics have become in so many ways that shapeshifted a lot of

what we’re doing and who I am today. But this last year, these last six, seven

months, this is something altogether different. And I’m on the other side of

any kind of hesitancy that I had prior. I’m on the other side of giving a damn

about people’s feelings about this moment. I will express myself more

clearly and more concisely because I see the threats in very vivid terms in ways

I never saw before. And I see the consequences of not just those threats

from the administration, but the actions of this administration more perhaps than any other governor in the United States

because I’ve seen the damage firsthand to communities, this economy, our reputation, to our allies, the world

we’re trying to build. This is simply the most destructive and damaging

individual in my lifetime that happens to be the president of the United States. and I need to be held to a

higher level accountability as governor. So in every way, shape or chain way I have changed and I also as a father as a

caregiver recognize that ultimate judgment will come from them and even

myself when I’m done I have to meet this moment. And so yeah this has been very clarifying it’s been very sobering and

uh in many ways I’ve changed. So so the open hand not a closed fist that’s out the window now. No, always.

But I’ve always maintained that. You know, you how do you maintain that with I mean the same way that I, you know,

celebrate the best of this nation by making the point that anyone who tries to condition or suggest we should

condition aid uh to deal with those that were lost their lives and the devastation of the floods in Texas

should be ashamed of themselves. I mean, I was proud to send on your

behalf, our behalf, uh, search and rescue teams to Texas. Proud of the fact

my tax dollars went to Speaker Johnson’s district in Louisiana. Proud that this

country steps up in times of emergency and crisis. Proud of the fact we’re there providing mutual aid for

firefighters, not just across the United States, but increasingly across the globe. Proud of the fact that we

recognize that we’re all in this together and we’re all better off. We’re all better off. And so, no, always an open hand, not a closed fist. Uh but,

you know, you’re going to come after our folks. You know, we you gonna you’re gonna you know, you’re gonna throw a

United States senator on the ground, handcuff him. You some kid who’s trying

to go to the grocery store with his dog who’s scared to death to walk his dog to the grocery store because he doesn’t

look like you and me. Looks like Senator Padilla. The hell is that? That’s Donald

Trump’s America. And so, yeah, I sure as hell will have a closed fist and push back against those authoritarian

tendencies any day of the week. um after uh what you faced in in

California, Trump’s now militarizing Washington DC and escalating these

threats and cities like Chicago and Baltimore. Yeah. Um

you saw this firsthand uh in LA. Uh what do you know about the

military coming into a city or a state that uh they may not know yet? Well, this is exactly what we said was going

to happen. Rewind the tapes. We made this crystal clear. This is a preview of things to come. Let me add to that just

10 or so days ago. I don’t know if Jim brought it up, but when we announced this campaign on the redistricting, we did so at the democracy center, Little

Tokyo, the site, quite literally the sacred site where we were, United States

of America and California was interning the Japanese. At the exact moment, two

US senators, members of Congress, hundreds of members, leaders in our community that were assembled at that

exact same moment, Donald Trump sent mass men to the event. ICE and Border

Patrol, primarily the Border Patrol to intimidate folks.

Poor guy was selling strawberries was arrested. I imagine he must have been on the most wanted list. Dangerous felon

disappeared. That is a preview of things to come.

Don’t think for a second he’s going to stop in the National Guard. It’s an interesting fact. 4,000 National Guard

were federalized. Over 700 uh members of the United States Marine. 95% of them

did nothing. They sat there looking for things to do. Hundreds plus million

dollars wasted. Literally looking for an assignment.

They were taken off the beat. These are police officers, your National Guard. These are firefighters. These are teachers. These are caregivers. They

were taken off the streets doing real work to keep you safe and protected, to

keep you healthy. And they sat there in the armory looking for something to do. He will send the

National Guard. He will send them all across this country. And he will do so

through election day. And if you think I’m exaggerating, consider the fact that as he demobilized our National Guard, he

kept hundreds of them through election day. And he’ll do so working in concert,

as he has with ICE and Border Patrol to do the same.

You have the largest private police force in the world. When they’re done with this, all that funding and that big

beautiful portrayal allows more resources for this private police force

that increasingly is showing a tendency not to swear an oath to the

Constitution, but to the president of the United States. And he’ll be sending

them to voting booths and polling places all across this country. This is a real

and serious moment in US history. And by the way, I say that as an American, not as a Democrat. Every Republican should

be ashamed about this and scared to death about not just these authoritarian tendencies, but these authoritarian

actions by the president. He is weak. He’s weakness masquerading as strength

and that makes him more dangerous than most people believe. Um

along those lines, uh he’s said in the last few days said well before that he

wants to end mail and balloting. You’ve talked about uh your own concern about

these efforts to suppress the vote either before an election, after an election. Uh what are you doing about

this November? What are your plans to counter that? Whether it’s, you know,

actions taken around the postal service or uh any of the other actions around

this election. Um, as you know, mail and balloting

happens red states, blue states, predominant means which people exercise their fundamental rights. Um, in states

like Utah, not just states like California, 80% of you voted by mail in

the last election. it was 82 and 86 in the previous elections. So, it’s overwhelmingly utilized. Uh it’s

unbelievably safe in the context of being secure

barcodes, signature verifications, process that is welldefined and has been

well studied and researched. He doesn’t want more people voting. He

wants to suppress and chill the vote. He also said he wanted to go after certain ballot machines. And by the way, I’ll

remind you where he got this advice or at least he asserted he got the advice after literally not figuratively.

This is not porative putting out the red carpet to Putin. Putin apparently gave

him this advice. Putin suggested to him, you know, sir, you know, as a you know,

I mean Putin is the master of independent fair elections and uh sort of offered up some sage

advice apparently. And Trump said, “My gosh.” Thank you, Mr. President Putin. Um, we need to end this. I mean, pay

attention, folks. This guy is not screwing around. Ask this board chair.

Ask Senator Schiff. Ask what’s h I mean, come on. You can’t find Paxton. Oh, no.

What? Who’s he? Mortgages, IRS. I mean, wake up. We’re

losing this country in real time. This is not bloiation. This is not exaggeration. It’s happening.

You don’t get a doover. 249 years. Those enduring values, best of Roman Republic,

Greek democracy, co-equal branches of government, popular sovereignty, the

rule of law is being replaced with the rule of dawn. Period. Full stop.

And so we have to assert ourselves with more clarity and conviction. That’s why

with respect that last panel was so important. That’s what Prop 50 represents, a response to that. We are

not bystanders and we have to shape the future by asserting ourselves.

So, how do you how do you make sure that that’s a, you know, free and fair election if if you believe that these

are real threats. What we’re going to do is coming up in this November. What are you going to what are you going to do? Same thing we’ve been doing, Chris.

Look, I mean, we’ve we’ve been involved in over 40 lawsuits, by the way. one of the most important lawsuits that needs to get more attention and I hope it will

get the attention it deserves when Justice Brier adjudicates the facts. But just a few weeks ago, we deposed members

of the Border Patrol. We deposed members of the military, General Surman among others, under oath in federal court on

Posi Kamatus. All of what you just described accurately about what Trump is asserting

now with an executive order and a strike force to move the military into American cities is at threat on the basis of

again the rule of law. We count on the courts. We count on this thing called the constitution and we count on judges

to adjudicate the facts fairly. Any day, any hour, Justice Bry will come out with

a first posi commitatus decision. It will have profound and far-reaching impacts. We’re still waiting for the

appellet court decision as it relates to the illegal tariffs in the fact that your backpacks cost

more and pencils cost more and paper costs more for school. This is a guy who’s going to ruin your Christmas

with the tax on all the toys coming in in the next few months. These tariffs, these illegal tariffs, he has no right,

legal right under the Independent Emergency Powers Act to advance that. We’re counting on the courts. You asked

how? Yeah, we count on the courts. You can’t count on Speaker Johnson. He has disappeared.

He has completely failed in his role and responsibility as Speaker. What an

embarrassment he is. What an abject failure he continues to be. And I dare

say with respect to Speaker Johnson, he may want to invite the National Guard into Shreport, Louisiana that has six

times the murder rate as Nancy Pelosi San Francisco. If you want to take care of the carnage in this country, Mr.

President, look to the red states, eight of the top 10 murder states in America, all red states. Look at the carnage in

places like uh Shreport, Louisiana. It’s not about any of that. It is about a

dominant. It’s about aggression and it’s about authoritarianism and tendencies.

And and my son said this, my nine-year-old, God is my wisest. Dutch is sitting there watching the president

and say, “Why does he keep saying he’s a dictator?” people that keep saying things like that actually might be a

dictator. And he then went on to say, “Why don’t we watch YouTube?” And wanted to go on a game.

What do you guys watch on YouTube? Oh, he that’s a whole We watch other people

watching Minecraft. I mean, that’s a whole another conversation. Um,

yeah, I need a drink, not some water. I’m going to quickly quickly change uh

topics before getting back to Trump, but uh you’ve been pretty vocal about this billion dollar settlement offer that uh

Trump has made to UCLA. The extortion and uh yeah, called it a shakeddown. You

referred to him as the dawn mama like figure. I didn’t did we? Good.

Yeah. So, how do you how are you going to stop that?

When we see folks entertaining a settlement, uh, it sickens me to the core, you know, all

for one, all for one for all or whatever. I mean, intel. I mean, this is

a guy. I love these guys. Hey, Sean Hannity, you watching? He’s so disgusted. Laura, so so sickened by

Mandani talking about, you know, socializing a bed or something or a grocery store. And here you hire Intel.

You just socialize and nationalize Intel. You got your guy Howard Letic, the great Leticizing

people that do business in this country, the Pentagon, Lockheed. But this is a decision of the regions. I

mean, and the UC, this is not Well, I’m I’m a member. It’s not Hannity or Lnik. No, it’s about this moment and it’s

about people standing tall. It’s about making the case to those members. How do you exert your influence?

You have moral authority, not just formal authority. I have a little formal authority, too. I’m a member of that body. Yeah. I also help fund it. Yeah.

And I also believe public institutions. I believe this UC system attached over

13,800 active patents, more than any other system in the world.

It’s the reason we have more scientists, engineers, more researchers, more Nobel laureates coming out of this. It’s the reason we’re the tenpole of the US

economy. It’s the reason America’s the ten pole of the world economy. It’s because of our research institutions.

this guy will take anything down and he’s trying to shut them down. I

mean, a billion dollar fine to UCLA shuts them down. Shuts down one of the finest research institutions in the

world. But it’s consistent pattern. Any institution that cultivates individual

or independent thinking is under assault. But are you going to stop? And we’re going to do everything in our

power to stop folks from selling out. The Smithsonian needs to assert

themselves. He’s rewriting history. He’s censoring historical facts.

It’s happening real time. He’s cutting institutions of knowledge from libraries. He’s cutting NIH funds. Not

just again at UCLA. And yes, you know what I said and I’ll stand by what I say. That’s the answer to the question,

but I’m affirming a broader construct. It’s not just about UCLA. It’s about anybody or any institution

that disagrees with them. And so how could you possibly

accept the fine? Fine for what? The guy who had dinner with Nick Fuentes

telling us about anti-semitism. Are you kidding me? The guy who countenanced

anti-semitism in both his last campaigns. I could give you chapter and verse on that lecturing us.

You saw I mean you you just saw California came out leading the nation in terms of our response to

anti-semitism. It’s a point of pride. It sickens me to my core. And I’ll remind you, I’m one of the governors that

visited Israel right after October 7th. Not only visited Israel, we also went

there with a field hospital also to not only protect and address the issues of

Israel, but also to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We did that. My point is, I’m not taking a

backseat to anybody on that, and I sure as hell ain’t going to listen to Donald Trump. It’s a false pretense. And by the way, Jewish caucus and others had the

guts to finally finally pushing back saying, “How dare you use us for this assault on independent thinking.” Uh,

and so no, the regions need to do the right thing. That said, I get it. They’re all scared. Everyone’s scared.

That’s why they sold out at Colombia. I mean, if if if I mean, you heard the

president of United States at the the cabinet meeting looking over. They were laughing. They were laughing

as he looked over and he said, “You’re not going to negotiate with Harvard. You think he’s going to negotiate with us

when he was where he was mocking Harvard that’s sitting on $53 billion endowment and they’re talking about selling out

with $500 million.” So, look, you know, there’s a pathway to get a deal with

that means nothing and has the form and substance of fog, fine. But the minute we sell our souls or sell out our

values, that ain’t going to happen on no money. For what? What did we do?

I I got it. No, just No. Just stop the for if Joe Biden came in and said, “I want a

billion.” For what? You would No one even asked the question. They say, “What about this is outrageous. It’s reckless.

Joe Biden tried to nationalize Intel. If Joe Biden did a deal to send H2O chips

to China and take 15% tithing like they did at Nvidia and AMD, people would be

outraged. Are you kidding me? All right, I’m going to change tops again. No, I just I wake up everybody. Wake up

everybody. Including Sean Hannity who may or may not Oh, yeah. Well, I mean Sean’s very sensitive. So you debated on with

Yeah. with Fox is sensitive. Uh very sad. We put a little mirror up to them. I saw that.

Uh, they are so situationally unaware. I’m gonna get to that. I’m going to get to that one later. We’ll talk about their chat bots for Trump.

Chat bots. Chat bots. Yeah. Um, so you debated Ronda Santis on Fox.

Uh, would you debate Arnold Schwarz? Would you debate Arnold Schwarzenegger on Prop 50? I know. I I have no interest in that.

No way. What about Cuz that’s for you. It doesn’t serve the public in any meaningful way. That’s theater.

Why wouldn’t it serve the public? Uh because I don’t think I’d What about Donald Trump? What if he What if he would debate you on Prop 50?

I debate on profit. Come on now. We’re gonna have we having a very tra I’m really proud of this in this respect.

Prop 50. It’s temporary. We maintain the independent redistricting commission. By

the way, as someone who has receipts supporting independent redistricting, opposed as mayor of San Francisco, one

of the few Democrats in the state that publicly opposed the repeal of independent redistricting. We maintain

the independent redistricting commission except for a temporary period just for congressional seats to respond to this

unprecedented assault by Donald Trump to try to rig the next election in response

for the 26 28 and 30 elections. It reverts back to its original form. We

affirm our support for national independent redistricting and we do it in the most trans trans I mean there’s

never been a state in US history that’s ever put the maps to the voters.

It’s not only transparent, it’s the most democrat. But why would they stop after 2030? Because the initiative ends there and

that’s what we’re responding to the immediiacy and the emergency and response to what Trump’s about. And by the way, it’s not just what he did in

Texas. You saw what he had yesterday. I hope everyone paid attention. But do you actually He had the speaker of the Indiana

Assembly and he had the Senate OTM in the Oval Office saying you are going next and threatened them to move in

Indiana. These guys are not screwing around. Well, you don’t think they’ll stop after 2030?

We’re doing Republicans the independent redistricting that we’re putting in front of the voters amendment

period. Full stop is a temporary response. It needs to be a temporary response. It affirms, we are affirming

support for independent redistricting, not just in California, but in the country. But we’re not going to play

with one hand tie behind our back. You just saw what happened. 54 decision. 54

decision on $800 million in NSF and NIH grants. The Supreme Court selling

everybody out, selling Congress out. By the way, that was part of the rigged

Supreme Court. Yet Gorsuch’s on there instead of Merrick Garland because they don’t play by the same set of I’m sick

and tired of Democrats being on the losing end in this country and our democracy being on the losing end. We

have got to fight fire with fire. But I I understand that’s in Prop 50, but you’re not saying you think they’re

going to Republicans are going to stop it. I don’t think Donald Trump wants another election.

You think for a second you want I have two dozen Trump 2028 hats

his folks keep sending me and you and you think he’s going to run

again. Don’t give me You don’t Who spends $200 million on a ballroom at their home and

then leaves the house? This is serious guys. This is serious.

So it’ll be Newsome Trump in 28. No. No. This is There’s no This guy doesn’t believe in free fair elections.

He could he tried to wreck this country. What were we did? Were you there January

6th? I think Fox was at least they were in a lawsuit. They seem to have lost any

memory of that. Uh shareholders didn’t. I mean, he tried to light democracy on

fire. He dialed for 11 almost 12,000 votes. Now he’s doing it in plain sight.

And people say, “Oh, just Trump being Trump.” You think people actually think this

guy’s serious about having another election? You think he’s joking about 2028?

You think when he brings foreign leaders to the Oval Office and he goes to the White House store, have you seen this?

Anyone? Is it just me? And he shows them the 2028 hats. He’s not being serious.

Wake up. You are losing your country. Again, this is not about Democrats

or it’s about all of us. So, you’re absolutely convinced he’s I’m absolutely convinced.

You’ve seen it. He tried to steal the last election. He tried to He’s trying to rig it in plain sight this time. He

wants to get rid of vote by mail. He’s talking about eliminating voting machines he doesn’t like. He’s setting

up the contours where he can declare a declaration of emergency for anything. Just cause means whatever he just said

on True Social. He’s running the greatest grift operation in world history. I mean, it makes some of these

dictators overseas blush the crypto, not just the perfume.

I mean, come on. Let me ask you about a couple of your wake up everybody. Wake up. Let me ask you about a couple

me and I know I uh it’s impolite. We have to be more calm and demure. Couple of your

But I’m not calm and I’m not going to submit myself to niceties. not when this

guy has tried to wreck our goddamn country. So, couple of your own experiences with him. You had this 90minute meeting

earlier this year when you when you went there. Um where he showed me a painting. He said,

“Turn around.” And I said, “Oh, there’s FDR.” And I went, “Of course.”

And he goes, he goes, he said, “What do you mean?” I said, “I know exactly what you mean.” And then he went on and on

about the third term. Yeah. That that same meeting. Have you told that story

before? Just said it. This was the first time. Uh, to the extent. So, do you take notes in it? Do you It

was It’s It’s a scoop. I have a good memory. Scoop. Tanny, by the way, I have I had a 16-minute

memory of the when he alleged that he read me the riot act on LA and didn’t even want to talk about LA before he

nationalized the guard. And by the way, you’ll we took Caperee’s notes of that because I thought it was

very important. And we submitted them to Congress because they’ve requested them.

And I’m looking forward to you all reading what we discussed that night. And it won’t surprise you, but it should

shock you. Can you share what he said publicly lied

to everybody, you American people and what he said privately and what was

really on his mind. So you’re standing So he’s showing you the FDR painting.

Yeah. Well, we talked about his crypto grift as well. What did What did he say about that? He was surprised that Memecoin is not even

a coin. He goes, “Hey, you know, it’s not even a coin.” By the way, I’m about to come out with a

coin on my Patriot site. Uh so I we may want to look into that. You’re adding that?

Yeah, we’re probably adding that. We We’ve got a We’re sold out of a lot of a lot of things in the on the Patriot

site. I think we’ll add a coin. Maybe a Trump corruption coin or something. Yeah. What else What else goes on in a meeting

like that? What What’s in the notes? What’s in the notes? I I didn’t take any notes during the Oval meeting. Uh but

the notes uh will be made public, Congress. Uh they they’ve been sent. I know, but are you allowed to preview?

I Well, I mean, apparently there no rules anymore. No. So, yeah, I’m allowed, I guess. I mean, I’ve already been threatened with arrest. Uh under

what pretense you want to arrest the governor, Mr. President? Well, he was elected.

Just pause and think. So, what are we going to see in just like he said, he’s entitled. entitled to five seats.

Entitled. And I’m the one being accused of overstating that he may

not be so interested in an election in a few years. I’m the one being accused of

that. Has he just pardoned all the January 6 insurrectionists and is talking to us about rule of law and thought we should prosecute someone for

the s? I don’t even know about the details of the sandwich. But that was an outrage on Fox, but not

the pardoning of people that actually attacked law enforcement and police officers where he uses our American

heroes, takes them off, takes them away from their families, off the beat where they’re doing important work and leaves

them in armories without enough food or water. You saw the photos on CS and mats.

We’re supposed to be listening to that. the spirit of patriotism. So again, wake up.

She covered a lot there, but in that meeting, you just want me Chris,

you got the you got the the the FDR painting where he was alluding to,

oh, that was a hell of a 90 minutes. And uh what else? What’s interesting when you called the first call you made

after that meeting, what was what were we followed up after that meeting? You know, I’ve had No, not with him. With the with first

person you called in your life to describe what you had just experienced. I didn’t have my cell phone and

before I saw a bunch of my staff that was wondering why we were in there for three hours. And what was the Susie Wilds for an

hour, hour and a half prior to talking about besides the FDR anecdote?

Well, I told him all the I told him a lot. Look, you know what I said in in this? Let me sort of step back, but it’s

a specific response. I told him it was a very good meeting. Uh I told him it’s very consistent with a lot of meetings

I’ve had with the president. Just like the phone call we had, that 16, 19 minute phone call was unbelievably cordial. It was a great phone call.

There was no friction. There was no issues. Ended incredibly collaboratively. It was a cell phone. He

said, “Call me back anytime.” I said, “Thank you, Mr. President.” only to wake up, you know, a few hours into the next

day and and read about a completely fictitious uh version of the

conversation. Jaw totally dropped, completely made up. Uh that’s the that’s

the this is, you know, I had a first term like that with him. Yeah. His first term, we’re involved, not just

me, but Governor Brown, myself, 122 plus lawsuits, but we still work together on

a number of issues. back to open hand, not a closed fist, particularly around COVID. And and I objectively, and I’ve

said this, I said it very public. I said at the tarmac down in LA with the president when we did a little scrum, I said, “Every single thing we asked for,

he delivered.” He did. Every single thing we asked for, he delivered. We had

an unbelievably good relationship despite all the noise. And that was my hope and expectation. That’s why I went to the tarmac. And then we had a a very

nice conversation there. It was a little more intense at the beginning. nice conversation, follow-up led to the Oval

Office, and it was a great meeting. It was and and I was trying to find common ground, but it’s look, there’s no

working with Donald Trump. There’s only working for him. And I will never work

for Donald Trump. And and you have to learn it the hard way. And I pray the UC regions don’t

learn it the hard way. I hope they pay attention to what he just said two days ago in the Oval Office about Harvard. I

hope they’re paying attention to what he’s doing in all of these other instances to to our CSU system, to our K

through2 education system. Why are we initi we didn’t initiate those 40 plus lawsuits? They’re all in

response to what he initiated. It’s unprecedented

what we are experiencing. These are dictatorial constructs, authoritarian

tendencies. And if you are black or brown in this country, I feel like you probably feel like authoritarianism is

already here. If you’re a per person of privilege and wealth, you’re so fearful

that you’re probably more interested in a transaction in a one-off deal because somehow crony capitalism may be your

only path. All right. What the hell is going on? And by the way, anyone who believes in free enterprise should be ashamed of

themselves for supporting Donald Trump. So, you you signed this deal with the Danish foreign minister. I want to get

sort of what you’re hearing from others on this. Uh, I don’t want to ruin my source there. I was going to say and in San Francisco

last week. Um, what are they saying right now about Trump? Well, I I I won’t talk about the

conversation um with our friends from Denmark, but I can You got the Greenland.

We didn’t we didn’t talk notably we did not talk readout was we did not talk about Greenland. Um,

I’ve had the privilege of meeting a lot of foreign leaders. I’ve had a chance. What’s the general? Not putting They’re laughing behind his back. That

did not happen. I making this clear. They’re telling, “Do not conflate what I just said with

the meeting I had with the Denmark delegation.” Not wasn’t them. Other foreign leaders are laughing.

I’ve had dozens and dozens ambassadors met with him. What are they saying to They’re laughing behind his back.

He’s being played everywhere. It’s an embarrassment.

They are. I’m just telling you. I just That’s universal. Universal. Unless there’s a deal. Unless

there’s a griff there, unless there’s a transaction. I mean, he sends his kids out before all those trips to the Middle East to get the deal.

Again, where’s Fox prime time on that? Well, where the hell are they? And we

get a side deal, maybe a little bit of relief here in in in in Vietnam. And then all of a sudden we dealt with some

of their versions of SQA that were all waved over there. I mean what’s going on in chi China I mean they’re probably

looking at this. I mean by the way she’s loving this about China that nationalization of private industry

is something we’re pretty good at in China. He’s probably looking at Trump saying maybe he’ll give him some advice after Putin gave advice about free and

fair elections. What do you think? Don’t think there’s not some deal there’s some deals on the side there

with the Chinese. I just don’t think that that won’t be part of something. I don’t know. In the crypto world seems to

No, I mean, look, look at the evidence. Look at the facts. Look who shows up at the golf course. Look who shows up for

the fundraisers. Look who needs a pardon. Come on. Why am I even having to

say this? It’s right there in plain sight. In plain sight. What’s selling you out

for the great grift? We got a couple more. I’m going to try to shift the tone a little bit.

Ah, Frank, um, I need to visit Copenhagen.

This is none of that was about I am going away next week with my son. Where you going? I’m going overseas. So, you’ll you can

spend days without me. Uh, for that same 9-year-old, uh, his baptism, he’s

somehow convinced his parents. Uh, he’s got some family. He’s doing this. He’s a design. He may become pope one day. Are

you going to the Yeah. So, I’m going doing a baptism. overseas. I can’t share everything at peril. Uh but a little

privacy uh but uh I’m looking forward to a few days off. Apparently I think most

of you are probably saying he needs it after this. Do you think you’ll get an audience with the the pope? I have uh I one of the great thrills of

my life was be with the pope at the Vatican talking about climate change and talking about um criminal justice uh

which is uh something I’ll never forget a year or so ago. So, from the uh sacred

to the profane, I guess you could say. That’s my transition. I love it. Uh do you personally approve the press

office tweets that go out from your uh uh there is a a a little there’s we have

a a kill switch? Yeah. So, to the extent that I don’t kill it, uh then I guess how many do you kill?

Uh less every day.

As I said, I’ve just thrown it out. Do you see a do you see a point where you get tired of those? Like are they going

to get old? Yeah. Look, I No one’s not. We’re iterating. It’s been the cause of my life. I I try to iterate. I’ve been

doing that’s why that’s why we did the debate against Dantis and and and Fox and and Sean Hannity. It’s why uh we

started showing up. But no, but no Arnold debate. Taking that off the table Arnold debate. I It’s like, you

know, I I visited with Arnold on this. We talked. We debated this. Uh we we Were you disappointed? Do you feel like

he violated? No, just the opposite. I I I completely respect his point of view and position.

And by the way, I told him I share it. I just told him, you don’t have and redistricting doesn’t exist anywhere in this country if this guy wins and wires

this. I said, if you actually care about this issue, uh you’re going to you’re going to stand up for this. And I I

reminded him, Chris, that we’re actually protecting his his legacy by maintaining

the independent redistricting and affirming it. And so, again, I I’m not I wasn’t here to convince him. That’s why

I’m not going to have a public display of be I come on I get what you’re doing. But but I showed the respect because I

do respect the governor and um and and we’ve worked together on a lot of other issues. We’re about to do some on after

school for all. Worked on climate policy and um you know that’s but he hates Trump probably almost as

much as you do. I don’t know after this conversation I might reassess. No. Yeah. Whether he hates him quite as much. But

is he being naive? No. With all the threats you’re you not I’m not taking the bait on that.

He’s he he’s a person of of of judgment on this on the basis of his experience

and his advocacy. I respect that. I I spent I spent time expressing a

point of view. He expressed his point of view. He was respectful. Uh and I’m going to be responsible enough to say a

little more out of respect to the governor and out of respect for his very uh principled stance supporting what I

support, which is independent redistricting. So at this perilous moment, however, I

believe that we need to respond to this emergency. Uh, and I think he understands that and I think we have an

understanding and good people can disagree. Do you do you see this merch before it

goes on the site? I uh Well, you didn’t ask me my favorite. Yeah. Is it I I’ll get to your favorite,

but do you like the tweets? Is there a is there a a vetting process? Yeah. Yeah. Reasonably. I mean, look,

when something kill switch, I’m going to need some deniability eventually. So, I’m going to create some

space because invariably something’s going to go out that may have crossed a line and I will of course deny any

association. Um, you know, and so I need I need a little bit of space if I

You have a tank top on there sort of Taylor Swift inspired. Yeah, what does it say? Taylor inspires a lot of us. So,

uh, it says Trump is not hot. Uh yeah, look, this is a guy who retweeted himself on

Mount Rushmore. This is a guy who retweeted himself, dare I say, as Pope. Yeah. This is a guy who’s hawking a Trump

Bible. This is a guy who’s out there selling perfume and with one of the great

griffs, a coin. But I want to get to the Trump is not hot. So So

this is a guy who has merchandise. Yeah. Yeah. Selling 2028 hats. So this is a guy who says Trump is never

wrong. But who in politics? This is a guy who has Hulk Hogan and others

praying for you have those now. You have all I I think I quite quite enjoy myself. If

you haven’t looked at the Patriot shop, I encourage you to take a look and peruse. The Bible is sold out and uh but

but there’s a lot of new merchandise coming. And as I said, I this u I’m really intrigued by this uh Trump

corruption coin. Yeah. uh which I think is uh I want to hear more I want to hear what what’s the countdown for that when

I don’t know I hope it’s it’s sooner than later again we’re it’s some record-breaking merchandise here it’s uh

uh it really is I mean it’s I didn’t realize that this was uh a so enjoyable uh number one and b um so impactful in

this respect because it’s serious it’s putting the mirror up to the absurdity

of all of this fact that you have allowed this we

including me have allowed this to be normalized. The fact that these pundits and mouthpieces out there, these chat

bots on one American news and Newsmax and you know all the paring we’re seeing on Fox and there’s no situational

awareness as they’re assaulting and attacking the integrity of my assertion that I have the right to do things in

all capital and talk about big beautiful maps and talk about Columbus would be all this and thank you for the

attention. Somehow that’s offending their senses. They say it’s not gubernatorial, but apparently it’s

presidential. All right. So, Trump is not hot.

The question for you and we’ll this we can go out on this one. So, it’s got you got that who by the way, I think you’ve finally seen

some uh who in politics photos of me that have been untouched, which is good. Uh some of the photos

without my shirt. It’s good to see me without any uh you know, usually they touch things up, but those are some

actual authentic photos out there. Yeah. So, who in politics is hot?

Well, I I think there there I think a lot of government names names here. I think I think look I I think the

Democratic I think the biggest problem I’m going to see I’m going to battle the whole group. I’m going to You wanted to go a little

light. I’m going to go serious. Um that’s not light. But but seriously, I’m

light in this case. L I G ht um um or uh

well the biggest I’ve been iterating with

this podcast and offending some folks as census because you know how could you you know

have Charlie did you see Pete Buddha judge’s remarks on No I but I great admiration for Pete I’m

looking forward to getting him on the podcast. Yeah. Um, but good people can disagree. I and and they have they’ve been very

expressive about the merits to merits of having Nuke Gingri or, you know, Michael Savage or some folks they may disagree

with. I think it’s important. I did another reprocast this morning with another person member of the Trump

administration, former member, and I think it’s important just do and good people. Who was it? uh I want to show I want to

first I want to show but the point of it is to make the case uh humility and

grace uh you know we don’t have all the answers but the answers are out there

success leaves clues there’s power of emulation learn from people learn from don’t follow you know I was talking to

Steve Bannon I’m not kidding about twothirds into I thought I was talking to and don’t be offended by this and I

don’t mean to take but I honestly I thought I was talking to Bernie Sanders because he was talking in populist

terms. He was making a case. I actually said in the podcast, you’re making a case for California’s progressive taxes.

He was actually making a compelling case for California’s tax system. Um, and

there was a lot. It was interesting once you get through all the noise of why he shouldn’t even be platform. This is assaulting. Charlie Kirk and what he’s

able to do with young men and how a Democratic part is losing young men, multicultural, multi-racial, losing

young men across the spectrum. It’s a crisis for this party. But I’ve been trying to understand and it’s a long way

of saying this and it connects to your is it hot or whatever. No, no, no. But and let me sum up

that I’ve been on this journey. I think a lot of us have been on Democrats and I think others pundits, experts of all

tribes. What the hell’s wrong with the Democratic party brand? And at the core we can unpack it and

I’ve seen a million theories and I’ve got dozens and dozens of page and I you know I’ve kind of distilled you knowif

you know you know is it was it Israel was it inflation was it interest rates uh was it incumbency was it I mean you

know you can go down the list all these things was it the view was it issues of culture was it woke was it all this end

of the day and we can get into the issues the merits of the issues and where we’re issues where we are definitely not necessarily with the

American people the majority American people’s our own performance etc. But at the end of the day, to me, the

essence of the challenge of the party is weakness. Weakness.

And I think it was not lost on me. And I think I don’t think I really at the core

believe this. The most eloquent spokesperson that understood this decades ago was Bill Clinton after we

got shellacked at one of the midterms. And you all know this quote, but it’s important to be reminded of it. He said given the choice when he was reflecting

on it and we were all saying we need to go to Applebees and we need to I mean there was a bestselling book on that at

the time and we were it was sort of hillbilly elegy was coming up and we were discovering this guy JD Vance and

we were all trying to understand our way out of the wilderness and and Clinton summed it up said given

the choice the American people always support strong and wrong versus weak and right and I think our party needs to

wake up to that. We need to assert ourselves. Why did I open this pack two years ago? It wasn’t for some grand I

know you guys want to write a grand ambition. It’s to get us off our heels and get us back on our toes. Why did I

go on Sean Hannity show? Why did I go to that debate? Because I was sick and

tired of being on the receiving end of CRT, ESG, DEI, IRS, EPA, anything with

three damn letters. Somehow these guys were shapeshifting and they were just surround sound grievance and we were

responding to that and there was something about that was infuriating but also forced me to sort of you know

recognize my own culpability in that respect the fact that society becomes how we behave. we are behaviors and I

said we got to change the way we behave and so I’ve been on this sort of journey of understanding and I think what these

tweets back to what you’re saying represent what the merchandise represents is a desire now to be held to

a higher level of accountability to assert with more clarity and conviction a point of view with humility and grace

sure but that I think is critical for the Democratic party right now we have got

to stand tall, authentic, but we have to stand tall and we have to

affirm our positions and we have to use every tool at our disposal to not only

assert ourselves but to prove ourselves to the American people. Prop 50 to me

represents that style of communication. I believe in an iterative manner is part

of that. And I believe the Democratic Party is going to light things up in the

spirit of your conversations because I think the best days of this party are ahead of us. Anyone who’s counting us

out, I think, is making a worse bet than even betting on Trump’s meme coins.

So,

So, you and Trump in 28. Well, I think JFK running with him

again, Junior, uh, in 2028, or maybe Epstein will come back and, uh, run with

Trump. Uh, we haven’t even talked about Epstein. Yeah, I was going to say you’ve kind of

tiptoed up to that and talked about it on Shawn Ryan. And I don’t know. I just thought it was

interesting when Elon Musk tweeted out that he’s in the Epstein files. 3 days later there were no files.

I just thought that was interesting. Do you feel any responsibility as governor of California for the Elons of

the, you know, the the the rightward shift of a lot of I personally don’t because as you know

I’ve been accused of of spending more time than I should with them. You know, I I’m pretty proud of California’s

regulatory system that that created u the incent incentives for someone like

Elon Musk to make billions and billions of dollars. You don’t think this was part of a backlash to your time as mayor of San

Francisco and then being governor and that it’s shifted some of the folks within Silicon Valley. I mean, we see

these folks who have Trump’s ear now. Well, look, you you’re you’re having a there’s a to me it’s a separate above

conversation that has some of its origins in crypto and the blockchain. Uh has some of its origins with Elon

specifically about an EV meeting he wasn’t invited to. Uh that has a lot of cult personality as much or more than

anything else. Uh and policy uh that also marked that um uh that that shift.

Uh but but I you know that’s that’s for another conversation like a deeper conversation. It’s a longer

conversation. Um, if you will answer it, this will be our last one. Who in politics is hot?

Well, I mean, dodge it now. No, look, I I think u I I think that the the benchm I think the bench of

Democratic governors are I think it’s a hell of a lineup. A whole lot. I think it’s a great Yeah, of course.

You know, my wife. Yeah. Well done, Jennifer. Yes. Uh, bailing you out. I’m not sure she’s long for politics.

She’s trying to stay out of this, but she going to run first. Uh she’s got a new documentary. It’s an update of of misrepresentation. By the way, I just

want to say just and we’ll end on this cuz this is an opportunity. Yeah. Uh to to brag on my wife. My wife did a

documentary she did called Misrepresentation about the miss and underrepresentation of women and girls. She followed up with a documentary

that’s very interesting. It was called the mask you live in about masculinity.

And it was 2015. And as she reminds me, she says, “I was previewing what was

going on with this crisis of young men and boys a decade ago.” And she said,

“With all due respect, your party, Gavin, your party governor neglected

this and the Republican party weaponized it.” And I just think that’s interesting

because this issue to me explains more things in more ways on more days. I I at

the core of the why we’ve lost young men begins I think our pathway back beyond

the framework of strength versus weakness and so forgive me for elongating that point but yes Jen Seel

Newsome is Jen Sevil Newsome and Democratic governors is the and I’m yeah I’m proud I I’m very proud

of how many of those governors are going to are going to do what you’re doing. Well I hope I hope I hope more than

just Yeah. Um did you talk to more before he came out? I was I was hearing, you know, the

archbishop today talking about faith and works. Yeah. You know, and in relation to the tragic

shooting in Minneapolis, and you got to pray that your feet move. And so I’m praying

that we move our feet. Um and uh and I’m I’m praying that if cuz we’ve if we’re

successful and we’re going to be failure is not an option this November with

Proposition 50 that if he moves as he is intending to do in Indiana and Missouri

and Florida and what’s already taking shape in Ohio and who knows what the hell else he may come up with an

executive order and some emergency rubric that these governors are going to have to move. We’re going to need to see

other governors move in a similar direction. Democracy is at stake.

You’re calling on them to I’m not calling on them because that comes across as patronizing and

obnoxious. These are good people. They know what right and from wrong. Uh you’ve got some unbelievably eloquent

people uh that are superstars. Uh one of them is a president uh in the future. Uh

maybe two. Uh, these guys are more than capable of figuring out themselves, but I think they understand what’s at stake.

Cool. Well, we’ll end it on that and thank you so much for your time today and thank you to the audience for uh

listening. It was fun. Thanks for dressing up. You don’t seem so convinced.

Thank you, Chris. Thank you guys very very much.